Sen. Young talks about prescription abuse

Tuesday

Pharmacy heists are part of a growing problem with abuse of prescription drugs and Medicaid fraud state Sen. Catharine Young, R-Olean, told Monday Clubbers at their weekly meeting Monday.

Pharmacy heists are part of a growing problem with abuse of prescription drugs and Medicaid fraud state Sen. Catharine Young, R-Olean, told Monday Clubbers at their weekly meeting Monday.

“Abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise,” she said. “The Wellsville robbery and previous robberies in the Olean area are part of the $18 million Medicaid fraud.

“People use Medicaid cards to go to several doctors and obtain prescriptions, then they get the drugs and sell them on the street,” continued Young. “We have passed legislation in Albany that goes after Medicaid fraud and the cheats to bring the cost of the program down to help ease the costs to counties.”

Young also talked about other areas, such as the STAR Rebate program which the state legislature enacted to bring down the “heavy” tax load on New Yorkers, and small business tax cuts to help local economies.

“We restored the governor’s proposed funding cuts to hospitals and nursing homes last year during the budget process, but we’re concerned the governor will bring those cuts back when he presents his budget proposal in January,” Young said. “Support for hospitals and nursing homes is crucial to rural upstate. Cutting funding diminishes care. We have to make sure all elderly get the care they need and deserve.”

Taking questions from the group, Young explained that the majority of lottery money which is collected goes to education.

“But those funds do not cover all the education costs,” the senator said.

Talking about casinos, she said they are a “mixed bag” of good and bad.

“I got $1 million into last year’s budget to develop programs for gambling addictions,” she said.

Young also said her office would help with STAR rebates and will help seniors with questions concerning senior choice insurance programs.

Tipping her hat to the 115th year of Monday Club which was founded to support reading and culture in the village by creating a library, Young said she appreciated that the group was honoring Women of Achievement in their anniversary year.

“Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B, Anthony are two women who I appreciate,” Young said. “The struggles they went through to get the vote for women were dangerous and amazing. And they both died before women got the vote.”

She presented a proclamation to the Monday Club praising it for its work over the years in support of the library and bringing women’s topics to the forefront. Club President Cathlene Linnecke accepted the proclamation from Young.